Various methods are used by retailers (e.g., brick-and-mortar stores and Internet-based stores) in an attempt to sell items (e.g., goods and/or services). Some retailers attempt to use market-based data to promote items. For example, a retailer may identify or recommend to potential customers items that are best-selling or most popular among other customers. Some retailers may identify items that have received positive praise from third-party sources that may appeal to potential customers.
In some cases, retailers attempt to appeal to an individual customer by recommending items based on what other customers may have purchased who bought or viewed similar items. However, the retailer often does not know why the other customers selected the item and so such a recommendation may not be effective with some potential customers. For example, if a customer is looking to buy a new chair to place in the tight space between two pieces of furniture in the customer's bedroom, recommending other related items, such as a large table, that cannot fit into the space may not be helpful to the customer.